The Wishing Well
by Tarma Hartley
Summary: A fight on Christmas Eve leads Phoenix & Edgeworth to discover what really matters to them beside an ancient wishing well. Updated every Friday until complete. T, PxE
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I do not own either Phoenix Wright or Miles Edgeworth; CAPCOM does. The plot, of course, is mine. :) On a side note, "nomen" is Latin for "name."  
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_This was originally written as a Christmas gift fic for ShadowSuzaku in 2007; as with "The Christmas Gift," __I decided that the time had come for a rewrite so I have and I'm posting it as the second of my Christmas stories. :) Hope you like the rewrite! :)  
_

I like the playful banter between Phoenix & Miles_. _:) *Any and all other oddness is courtesy of The Irish Rovers' "Wasn't That A Party?" which I have been listening to while rewriting and I have a cold. :D_* _This is a mix of romance and drama, with some humour splashed in with the addition of a supernatural twist and some Christmas magic since, after all, Christmas _is_ a time for miracles. :) It's rather eclectic, really. Just like life. :)_  
_

_**Thank you **to all my readers: those who have commented, read, reviewed, favourited/story alerted my stories and thanks also to those who have author alerted/favourite authored, as well! I appreciate it very much! I am glad that you are enjoying my stories and I hope that you will continue to enjoy them in the future! :)_

Thank you to my betas, Lyrical Rawr (past, who beta read the first half) and Midnight-hunter (present, who read it now), for all your comments and insights! I really appreciate it! :)

**Special thanks** to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, for all his encouragement, love, concern and for reigniting the fire within me to write! Love you, honey, and thanks!

I hope that you will enjoy the first chapter of this three part story and, as always, comments and suggestions are definitely appreciated and welcomed! :)

Rated Teen, Romance/Drama, male/male relationships, Phoenix & Edgeworth  
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_December 24th  
7 A.M._

I yawned as I woke from a very deep yet satisfying sleep Christmas Eve morning, turning over to see Miles lying next to me, his eyes closed, his dark grey hair spread out over the pillow with one arm draped across his chest and the other at rest by his side, his eyelashes lying still on his pale cheeks.

I propped myself up on one elbow, the left side of my face cradled in my hand, watching him as he slept and marveling anew at how beautiful and angelic he looked with the soft rays of dawn slowly filtering through the open window, gently falling on his face. I resisted the urge to reach out and touch that pale, fair skin and settled for simply watching him, his chest gently rising and falling. I smiled as I looked down on him, my breath catching in wonder at his ethereal beauty and thinking again of just_ how _lucky I was to have him.

I watched him in silence for some time, my eyes looking over him appreciatively until his eyelids fluttered and slowly cracked open, looking at the world through bleary eyes. I chuckled softly to myself as I saw his eyes darting from one end of the room to the other until they lit on my grinning face, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," I teased, leaning over and planting a gentle kiss on his lips and nuzzling the tip of his nose. "Happy Christmas Eve morning."

He smiled against my mouth and kissed me back, his half-opened eyes regarding me sleepily.

"Happy Christmas Eve morning, Wright." He stretched and then snuggled closer to me as I took him in my arms, cuddling his head close to my heart, my chin resting lightly on the top of his head, curling a lock of his hair lazily around my finger.

"Mmmmmm..." Miles purred contently and I pressed him closer to me, my face wreathed in a happy grin. This was definitely the best part of my day and I loved waking up next to him in the morning and seeing his beautiful, his grey hair tousled from sleep.

"Did you sleep well?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes, thankfully. No bad dreams."

I couldn't help but agree. He hadn't slept well in months due to a catastrophic combination of an increasingly crushing workload and plagues of nightmares, so I was glad that he had finally managed to get a good night's sleep without waking in the pre-dawn hours covered in sweat from a bad dream or finding himself hunched over a mountain of files that seemed to have no end. Thankfully, the nightmares of scenes from his past seemed to have come less often than they usually did and, for that, I could only be grateful.

_My poor, haunted love_, I thought, holding him close, nuzzling him gently with the tip of my nose, _what I wouldn't give to take this from you. To see you finally at peace after all you've been through is what I aim to help you achieve._ I sighed a little, pressing him closer to me. _If that is at all possible._

I swiftly cut short _that_ particular train of thought-going over events in the recent past was a _very_ depressing exercise in futility, I found-and moved on to much happier thoughts. I'd had a ghost of an idea while I was watching Miles as he slept and I had determined to broach the subject to him once he was awake.

"So... do we have any plans for tonight?"

Miles yawned against my neck and I giggled as I felt his breath tickling my skin.

"Nothing set in stone," he remarked after a moment of silence. "Why do you ask?"

"Well," I drawled, "I thought that we might go into the city tonight to do some Christmas shopping, go out to dinner and maybe take in a movie or a play. We haven't had a decent night out for some time so I thought that this might be the perfect opportunity to do so when we have some free time."

Miles remained silent for a moment or two and then said brightly, "That's a wonderful idea, Phoenix!" He snuggled closer. "It's the perfect time to go to the city; we haven't had a Date Night for some time and I agree that this would be the perfect time to do so." He smiled at me. "Consider it a plan."

"Excellent," I replied and then snuggled down under the covers, pulling Miles along with me while he happily acquiesced. "Consider it a date."

I kissed the corners of Miles' mouth tenderly before we both burrowed back under the covers and, in a few moments, were soon fast asleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_5:00 P.M._

I stood in front of the full length mirror in the corner beside the closet, holding up the midnight blue dress suit which I only wore on special occasions, turning my head this way and that, thinking about which white shirt to wear with it. I had two lying on the bed and I was having a _very_ hard time choosing between the two and kept looking at the closet at the row of crisp, white dress shirts that hung there.

Miles and I had decided, that morning, to go to the city for a dinner date later on that evening and I was choosing my suit very carefully for that reason. Normally, I really didn't care all that much about_ what _I wore but Date Nights were different and I wanted to look my best.

Business at Wright & Co. Law Office had slowed down considerably for the Christmas season-and the Prosecutor's office had, as well-so we had decided to have that_ long _overdue Date Night tonight which I was very much looking forward to since we hadn't had a date for a few months due to both of our work schedules. I put the shirt back in the closet, turned back to the bed and picked up the shirt that was lying on my pillows. I held it up to my chest and turned this way and that, looking at my reflection with chagrin; I sighed as I put that one back in the closet and took out another one.

_Gah, there's so many to choose from . . . and yet they all look the same to me!_

I had to admit that my fashion sense had improved considerably as far as formal dress went since Miles and I became a couple and I did admire his exquisite taste in clothing though I still wore my usual blue suits in court, much to his chagrin.

I chuckled as I thought of it, shaking my head with amusement.

_He can really be a bug about some things_, I reflected as I held the suit under my chin with one hand and the shirt in the other, chewing my bottom lip thoughtfully as I compared the two to see if it fit, _but I love him with all my heart and I want nothing more than to make him happy, even _if _he is occasionally annoying about what I choose to wear. _I put the suit down on the bed and held the up the dress shirt._ Now, how would this look...?  
_

I was so deep in thought that I had no idea that Miles had just entered the bedroom and, seeing as how I was twisting this way and that in front of the mirror trying to get a good angle so I could see how it would look on me with the suit, he grinned and stood in the doorway, leaning against the door jamb. His arms were crossed over his chest and he had a smirk on his face as he watched me.

"I didn't know that you were the vain type, Wright," he drawled mischievously and I nearly jumped a foot with an indignant squawk of surprise when I realized he was standing there in the doorway behind me. "In fact, I would have said that you weren't the type to really care about their appearance . . ._ if_ the cheap suits you wear to court are any indication."

My faced turned crimson and I could feel my ears getting hot.

_Miles_ must _be in a good mood this morning_, I thought wryly, a wolfish grin slowly spreading across my face as I turned to face him even though my cheeks were pink from embarrassment. _He cracked a joke. I'll have to call Ripley's Believe It Or Not and report it though I am sure that no one, outside of those who know him well, like myself, would believe that the Demon Prosecutor was even remotely capable of laughing._

Sometimes that nomen did his reputation more harm than good, in my opinion, although I had to admit that it _was_ a mark on the pro side when it came to his court cases since _no one_, with the usual exception of up-and-coming hotshot defense attorneys, both rookie _and _veteran, really wanted to go up against the 'Demon Prosecutor.' Miles rolled his eyes as he saw the expression on my face, knowing in an instant in what direction my thoughts were going. That unerring ability of his to do that _really _unnerved me sometimes but, to my relief, I _did_ see the corner of his mouth twitch in amusement, his grey eyes sparkling with undisguised mischief.

"I don't know what I see in you," he continued blithely, pushing himself off from the jamb and walking into the bedroom. "You obviously have _no_ fashion sense to speak of; those cheap, off the rack blue suits are a disgrace to the legal world and your hair . . . well, let's just say you're in _no _danger of anyone from GQ banging on our door, desperately wanting you to model for the front page layout."

I snickered at the semi-sour look on Miles' face and shook my head in mock disparagement, biting down on my lower lip to smother the laughter I could feel building up within me.

"Jealous, Miles?" I teased, my mouth twitching in amusement while he looked at me in mock surprise as he made his way over toward me. "Who knows? Maybe spiky hair will be the _in_ thing this year." I made a face at him.

An elegant eyebrow lifted. "I_ hardly_ think so, Wright," he replied loftily, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist, his chin resting lightly on my shoulder. "_Your_ tastes leave a lot to be desired, whereas _mine_ air a certain... _class_... not to mention that spiky hair could cause a rise in 'Death-by-spikes'."

I sighed, rolling my eyes as I settled back into his embrace, his lips brushing the back of my neck and shivering a little as he did so.

"You've survived in the most awkward of positions," I remarked, laying the shirt beside the suit on the bed and turning around to face him, my arms wrapping around his neck as he wound this around my waist. "But I'm willing to bet that it really doesn't matter all that much to you: you just like to tease me." I gently rubbed the tip of my nose against his, a playful expression on my face. "After all, as long as we're together, _nothing_ else matters."

"Objection!" he said with feeling, his arms tightening around me. Miles _always_ hated not to get the last word in.

"Overruled!" I retorted, laughing, and leaning quickly forward, captured his mouth in a passionate kiss, pulling him tightly against me. He leaned into the embrace with relish, opening his mouth underneath mine and giving me a good, hard kiss with a soft moan before he suddenly pulled away, a grimace on his face and his nose twitching in distaste.

"You're _not_ wearing that lethally smelly aftershave again, are you?"

I gave him a blank look, my mouth twisting a little and sighing inwardly.

_He just had to go and ruin the mood._

"Miles, I'm all for improving my tastes, but seriously, there is such a thing as taking the 'gay' stereotype too far," I scolded, resisting the urge to shut him up in a more un-holy way as I reached over and picked up the suit again. He smirked and leaned in toward me once more, his warm breath again tickling my skin.

"Enjoy this mood while it lasts, Wright," he whispered against my sensitive skin while I shivered with pleasure. "I'm just on a high from finally being alone with you."

I smiled, letting the words sink in slowly. It was those kinds of words that made me ignore the snobbish side of my love.

"…Besides, I'm sure they use incredibly strong solvents in that scent of yours."

_This is going to be a long night, I can tell._

Chuckling and shaking my head, I gave up on making pleasantries; Miles was in a playful mood tonight and I could only be thankful for that rather than having him miserable and depressed as he had been in the past at this time of year which tended to put a damper on the festivities.

"Don't tempt me so early in the morning, Miles dear," I quipped after we had parted, snickering inwardly at his raised eyebrow and nuzzling his neck playfully. "You're all together just _too_ delicious for me to resist!"

He made a face at me as he rolled his eyes. I could picture that look_ so_ clearly in my mind's eye that I started giggling. He gave me a disgusted look, the corners of his mouth twitching as he tried very hard not to laugh as I turned and picked up the midnight blue suit that was lying on the bed once more.

"You can be so childish sometimes, you know that, don't you?" he said tiredly, shaking his head but not relinquishing himself from our embrace while I breathed an inward sigh of relief. There had been times in our relationship when I had to _tell_ him I was only joking since he took things so seriously most of the time; he was getting much better at it now and didn't take offense to my silly ramblings, puns and jokes. "I sometimes wonder what it _ever_ was that I saw in you in the first place."

"It must be my irrepressible good looks," I quipped, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes, grinning from ear to ear as I fluttered my eyelashes at him or, more truthfully, _tried_ to. I could never get it right and the attempt to do so always gave me a headache. "I _knew_ it must have been my spiky hair that first attracted you!" He didn't look at all impressed with my attempts at fluttering so I tossed my head slightly, earning another raised eyebrow from Miles and a hastily smothered chuckle from him. "Either that or my irrepressible zest for life or, as you say, my 'childishness.' "

I smiled sweetly at him; he gave me another look but I knew that he was fighting a losing battle and it wouldn't be long before he broke down and laughed. The accuracy of this was proved a few minutes later when he did.

"Oh, Wright," Miles said, chuckling as he ran his fingers through my hair and caught his breath, "you really_ are _the best." He kissed the top of my head tenderly, pulled back a little and smiled at me, his eyes shining with love. I was dazzled by the intensity of that look as I looked back at him before I smiled happily and, leaning forward, nuzzled his neck playfully.

"So are you, Edgeworth," I replied, my fingers gently caressing his face, his breath catching at my tender touch. "So are you."

He rubbed the tip of his nose against mine, his smile so bright that I gasped at the intensity of it. The love I felt for Miles encompassed all of me, to the very core of my being and my heart had nearly burst with joy when we had come together as a couple in what seemed to both of us a lifetime ago. I loved Miles more than I could ever possibly hope to express in words and I sincerely hoped that it came through in the day-to-day things that I did for him in our life together: breakfast in bed one day, coffee in another and other little things like that, hoping that each one would show him just_ how_ much I loved him.

It seemed to be working thus far and we were very happy together which, as far as I was concerned, was all to the good. I could only hope that time would erase the terrible memories of his early life or even the knowledge of what his former mentor, Manfred von Karma, had planned to do to his former protege.

"But," he whispered once again, taking the suit from me and, laying it on the back of the chair next to the vanity, started pulling me toward the bed. "You _really _need to get rid of that awful stuff."

I followed slowly and opened my mouth to make a snappy reply but his mouth possessed mine before I had a chance to say a word and, within a very short time, he had distracted me from practically everything else as we shared a passionate kiss, falling back onto the bed with a soft whumping sound.

_Shut up, Edgeworth,_ was my second to last thought before everything else was swept away in a sea of burning passion and overwhelming pleasure.

Then...

_Miles . . . _

Then nothing at all.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I don't own Phoenix Wright or Miles Edgeworth; CAPCOM does. Stephen the waiter, Chianchetti's restaurant, the doorman and the plot are mine. :)_

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_An evening out doesn't quite turn out the way Phoenix would like and angry words are thrown out_ _as jealousy and fear rear their ugly heads..._

Chapter 2 for your reading enjoyment! :) Miles, Miles, Miles... when will you accept that Phoenix loves_ you _and only_ you a_nd no pushy and flirtatious blond haired waiter will turn his head? He doesn't care about other people-he only cares about you! Misunderstandings can happen at times. Poor Miles and poor Phoenix... can they salvage their evening or will it go from bad to worse?  
Chianchetti's restaurant exists only in my imagination-there's no restaurant of that name that I know of anywhere in the world-and is a hodge-podge mix of different restaurants I've gone to over the years with a _lot_ of imagination thrown in to make it something really interesting. It does sound very elegant, though, and would be quite a sight to see. :)

_Thank you, as always, to my readers who frequently read-and even re-read-my stories and those who have commented, _ read, reviewed, favourited/story alerted my stories and thanks also to those who have author alerted/favourite authored, as well! I appreciate it very much! I am glad that you are enjoying my stories and I hope that you will continue to enjoy them in the future! :) *I know I probably sound like a broken record but its my readers that make my stories the success that they are and I am truly grateful for all of your support!*

**Thank you **to my beta, Midnight-hunter, for all your comments and insights! I really appreciate it! :)

**Special thanks **to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, for all his encouragement, love, concern and for reigniting the fire within me to write! Love you, honey, and thanks!

I hope you enjoy it and, as always, comments and suggestions are warmly welcomed and gratefully appreciated!

Rated Teen, romance/drama, male/male relationships, Phoenix & Edgeworth  
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7 P.M.

"Hold still," Miles ordered while I tried very hard not to fidget as he attempted, for the fifth time, to tie that silk monstrosity they call a tie although, if you ask me, I think it should be properly called a noose. "I _won't_ be able to get it straight if you keep moving around."

_I don't see why I have to wear this stupid thing in the first place,_ I groused mentally. _Why can't I just wear the same tie I wear in court? Its functional! Why do I have to wear this thing for, anyway?!_

"I'm trying," I retorted, trying to keep my fidgeting to a minimum while Miles fussed with that infernal thing, pulling this way and that and taking me with it. "I can't help it if you're pulling me in three different directions at once!" He pulled the tie a little tighter; I squawked as I felt it start to get a little _too_ tight around my neck. "Hey! It's _too _tight . . . you're strangling me!"

It might have been my imagination but I could have sworn, at that moment, that I heard him mutter under his breath, "Don't tempt me, Wright." Seeing as how Miles usually only called me Wright when he was annoyed with me, I did my level best to try and limit my movement as he again tugged me in five different directions although this was becoming increasingly harder to do. I could only hope that he would get the infernal thing tied and the sooner that happened, the better.

He sighed in exasperation, loosening the tie ends. "For heaven's sake, Wright, quit being _such _a baby! I'm _not_ strangling you! If you'd just hold still for three minutes, I _might_ be able to get it tied!"

"Nggh," was all I said in reply, leaning on my left leg a little and trying to keep still. I gave Miles a dirty look while he pulled in the tie ends tightly once again, crossing the left corner over the right, pulling and repeating the motion until, finally, he got it tied.

He straightened out the tie a little with a slight tug to the right and then stepped back to examine his handiwork, smiling with satisfaction when he saw that it was tied properly and laying flat against the crisp, white dress shirt I'd settled on wearing with my dress suit.

"There you go," he said proudly, a smug expression on his face. "Take a look."

I turned to look in the full length mirror and, I had to admit, that it looked quite dashing with the midnight blue suit I was wearing.

"Thank you," I replied, giving him a quick kiss on the mouth which was warmly and enthusiastically returned. "I appreciate the help in getting this thing on straight and tied properly."

"You're welcome, Phoenix," he murmured into my hair, his mouth curving into a mischievous smile. "We'd have been here all night if I hadn't."

"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny, Miles." I straightened up and looked him right in the eye. "You ever thought about giving up your day job and becoming a comedian?" I made a face at him, doing my best to try to appear offended but failing miserably as I knew that Miles was acutely aware of. "And you can take your act on the road . . . _far _down the road!"

He rolled his eyes but made no comment as he walked over to the bureau, picked up the car keys from the ceramic dish on top of it and walked out into the kitchen, with me trailing close behind him, a secret smile on my face.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

9:00 P.M.

We walked out of the store, our arms both filled with brightly colored gifts, chatting and laughing as we made our way to the car. I was sure that Miles, Maya and Pearls would love the gifts that I had bought for them and all that remained, as Miles opened the car and popped the trunk, was to put them in the closet until Christmas Day when we got home that evening.

I felt giddy with excitement as I put the presents in the trunk, close beside Miles' own stack of gifts, eagerly awaiting the big day tomorrow. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Miles looking up at the stars shining in the sky and I smiled at the soft, peaceful expression on his face. He hadn't looked that way in months and I was very glad that he was blissfully happy tonight. We'd both enjoyed the shopping trip and I couldn't wait until we got to the restaurant where we were going to go for dinner.

It was an uneventful hour long drive to Chianchetti's, Miles' favorite new Italian restaurant that had nearly everyone in L.A. talking since it opened two months ago. My mouth dropped open in amazement when we pulled up to valet parking spaces in front of the restaurant and I heard Miles chuckle with amusement as he switched off the ignition.

I'd heard about this new place many times in passing since its opening and it was one of L.A.'s newest and hottest spots to see and _be_ seen in. I couldn't help wondering just how Miles had managed to get a reservation since only the elite-and the up and coming movers and shakers-of L.A. were the ones who were issued V.I.P. Invitations but I was happy just the same that he had. I'd read, not without a mix of disbelief coupled with amusement, stories in both the local newspaper and the tabloid rags of starlets getting into physical altercations when they were refused entrance; if they didn't have an invitation, they didn't get in. I could only conclude that the place _must_ be the hottest place on the circuit if people were getting into fistfights over not being allowed in.

Now that I was standing on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, I could honestly say that I was vastly impressed and understood the reason _why_ people would engage in slugfests at being refused. If it looked _this _impressive on the_ outside_ with its brownstone likecolor, I could well imagine what it looked like on the _inside_. I was speechless as Miles tossed the keys to the waiting parking valet out in front and nodded to the attendant as he caught them, stepped into the car, started it and drove it out to the parking lot in the back. I stood there in awe, an expression of wonder on my face as I got a_ really_ good look at the place.

It was an incredible mix of gothic and modern architecture that didn't look like a mismatched hodge-podge of different lines and angles, but came together in perfect harmony, sailing high into the sky. He smiled at me, nudging me gently with his elbow before turning to walk up the red carpeted sidewalk leading to the front door, I following close behind him.

Miles nodded a greeting to the doorman as he opened the elegantly scrolled oak door for us. The doorman smiled back and greeted him with a polite nod, a friendly "Good evening, Mr. Edgeworth," and accepted the twenty dollar bill that Miles gave him, touching the tip of his cap with his gnarled fingers before we disappeared inside.

I'd never seen any place as elegant as this, that my eyes as wide as saucers as I took in both the sights and sounds of the restaurant. The floor was a rich, pink marble, red velvet curtains ringed the French-style windows, two-tiered crystal chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, casting a soft, golden glow on the floor and surrounding room below. The tables and chairs were crafted of the finest mahogany wood, polished to rich cherry red with crisp white linen tablecloths and napkins gracing the tables. Musical waterfalls and pools stood in every corner of the room, its aquatic music pleasantly reinforced by the soft classical music that was playing sweetly over the intercom system.

Gleaming china plates, cups and saucers and sparkling silverware lay in their proper places and a crystal wine decanter stood on each table, half full of ruby red wine that gleamed in the soft light. With a soft smile, Miles pulled out my chair for me, gently taking my arm and guiding me to it where I literally fell into it, an astonished expression on my face. I was having trouble taking everything in at once and I must have looked like a stunned sheep as I slowly looked around me; wherever my glance fell, I saw amazing beauty and I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride rise in me that Miles was able to get a reservation in this wonderful place. From what he'd said, the food was also top notch and I was looking forward to the repast to come with relish.

I felt Miles' fingers gently rub themselves across the skin of the back of my hand and I was momentarily startled before I smiled shyly, my fingers slowly curling themselves around his as they slowly traveled over the back of my hand to touch the side of my hand. The smile on his face was dazzling, making the radiant light cast by the candles burning on our table look dull by comparison.

We stared into each others eyes for some time, our fingers curled around each other until we were interrupted by the discreet cough of our waiter, who had come to welcome us and had, apparently, been standing there in silence for some time. He looked to be about twenty-three, tall and slim with beautifully coiffed blond hair that fell in soft, graceful waves to his shoulders and contrasted perfectly with his gleaming black velvet tuxedo. We both sat back, our cheeks pink with embarrassment as our fingers loosened but the waiter took it all in stride as he placed two leather-bound menus beside our plates and filled our goblets with sparkling clear water from the crystal pitcher he held in his other hand, his cerulean blue eyes dancing with merriment.

"Good evening, gentlemen," he said pleasantly in a rich, baritone voice, "my name is Stephen and I will be your waiter for this evening. Would you care for anything to drink?"

"I'd like a Tequila Sunrise, please," I promptly replied, looking up at the young man briefly and nodding before I turned my attention back to Miles who had a most curious look on his face as he sat further back in his chair, his hand boxed under his chin.

"I'd like a glass of Chardonnay," Miles said tonelessly and my eyes widened a little at the flat tone in his voice. I wasn't sure what had passed between Miles and the waiter but it was clear that neither of them liked the other.

"Very good gentlemen," Stephen replied cheerfully and walked over to the bar some feet away where he gave our order to the bartender, waiting patiently for the order to be filled. We waited for a few moments, sharing and laughing over a hundred little things that had happened during the past week, and we both came to the conclusion that Chief Prosecutor was an idiot due to his lackluster performance in the latest legal scandal involving the police that Detective Gumshoe was currently investigating.

To my great relief, Miles seemed to be relaxing and, whatever it was that had caused that momentary slip of temper, he seemed to have gotten over it, for which I was very grateful. We hadn't had a night out in months and the last thing I wanted was for something, or someone, to ruin it. We sat in silence for a few moments more before Stephen arrived in short order with our drinks which he set before us with a flourish that I found a little unsettling, particularly when he turned a dazzling smile on me and winked.

I was surprised and taken quite off-guard by this and stammered something that seemed to satisfy him and he left shortly afterward to seat another party of twelve that had just walked through the door. After he was gone, I picked up my menu in slightly shaky hands and turned my head to look back at Miles who, I noticed, didn't look at all happy. The corners of his mouth were tightly compressed and he had a forced smile on his face, which were both indications that he was trying very hard not to lose his cool.

"Miles, are you all right?" I asked, my voice laden with concern over the change in him. I couldn't understand what had happened that precipitated this monumental change in mood and I was trying to find out what the matter was.

"I'm perfectly fine, Wright," he replied stiffly, forcing a cheerfulness into his tone that he obviously didn't feel as he picked up his menu. "Why do you ask?"

I felt my heart sink at the way he said "Wright" since there was no question that he was angry both because of the way he said it and the fact that he called me by my last name at all. I opened my mouth to say something but was interrupted by the arrival of Stephen, who brought a bread basket full of piping hot focaccia bread, putting it down on my side of the table with another wink and dazzling smile.

My eyebrows rose but I made no comment as I took out a piece of focaccia and offered it to Miles, who took it without comment and bit into it with a savage relish, his eyes narrowing. I gulped as I hurriedly took out a piece for myself and bit into it, the pleasant herbs and oils playing a marvelous symphony on my taste buds that I would have enjoyed very much if it weren't for the fact that Miles was obviously upset about something and wouldn't tell me what was wrong.

Swallowing, I once again opened my mouth to ask what was upsetting him when I was again interrupted by the arrival of Stephen for the third time in ten minutes and this time, the look on Miles' face was positively hostile as he openly glared at the waiter who ignored him with a cheerfulness that didn't fail to irritate him.

I leaned away from the waiter as he bent down to say something and shook my head; with a slight frown, he quickly stood back up and I noticed that Miles looked smugly satisfied at the waiter's discomfiture as I quickly rattled off our order, waving away any attempt by Stephen to lean down to talk to me. I didn't know exactly what was going on but I really didn't like the way the waiter was paying so much intimate attention to me, much more than a waiter normally would to a patron and it was making me feel very uncomfortable. Maybe that was the way that they did things here but I didn't like it and, from the look on his face, neither did Miles.

Stephen brought our order and plunked Miles' down in front of him with a soft clink and made a show of placing mine in front of me with a graceful flourish that I couldn't avoid although I did try. I mumbled my thanks, picked up my fork and dug in, waving him off again when he asked if I wanted or needed anything else at this time and I shook my head in the negative. All I wanted was for him to go away since his attentions were starting to really bother me.

After he had left, I looked up to see Miles, a brittle smile plastered on his face, glaring after him before he turned his attention back to me. I couldn't help but notice that his expression was one was of tight anger, his mouth turned down, his eyebrows knitted into an angry glare but I couldn't figure out why and he refused to tell me when I asked him what was wrong.

His pale face went a shade paler when Stephen showed up eight more times in the next ten minutes, hovering at my elbow, offering me this tidbit or this dish or suggestions for this wine or dessert and generally being a nuisance. I was perplexed at why this waiter should show me so much attention when he continually ignored Miles' repeated requests to refill his water glass and he was really bothering me with his constant presence so I politely asked him to leave. Enough was enough and I'd reached the limit of my patience.

To my surprise, he looked positively _offended_ by my request and I wondered what was up when he stood up, muttered something in German, pivoted on his heel and stiffly left, grumbling something about my taste in 'grandpas' as he did so. I watched him leave and then shrugged, brushing it off without another thought. I was determined to enjoy my evening out with Miles which would have been easier if only he'd stop glaring at me.

Half way through my Chicken Alfredo, I couldn't stand the tension any longer and I put down my fork on my plate, looking him straight in the eye. I didn't know what was bothering him but I was determined to ferret out the cause since this was really putting a damper on what was supposed to be an intimate and enjoyable dinner date that wasn't in any way enjoyable any longer.

"What's wrong, Miles? And don't tell me it's nothing-" I quickly interrupted when I saw him open his mouth to deny it. "-because I know better than that." I gave him a hard look while he studiously tried to avoid my gaze. "I know you well enough to know when something is amiss; you've been in an ugly mood for the past hour, not to mention that you took an immediate dislike to the waiter and I'm trying to understand why. What did he do that annoyed you so much, other than he obviously doesn't seem to understand the concept of personal space?"

He looked everywhere_ except _at me so I reached over and took his hand, squeezing it gently, feeling it trembling beneath mine. Ostensibly, I was trying to get him to look at me but he refused to do so, mumbling something about he'd talk about it later and jerked his hand away. I sighed and didn't say another word during the rest of the meal which, to say the least, was a very somber affair and I was _very_ glad when it finally came to a conclusion. I pushed back the chair without a word and stood up, watching as Miles did the same, his face devoid of any kind of expression and I shivered slightly; I could have sworn that the temperature in the restaurant had dropped forty degrees.

_So much for a relaxing and enjoyable evening out_, I thought glumly as Miles began walking over to the cash register, refusing to meet my earnest gaze, _this has to be one of the worst nights out ever. _I rubbed my eyes tiredly with nervous fingers._ The problem is that I really don't understand _what_ happened to turn what was supposed to be a dinner out into combat! _I shook my head as I followed a few steps behind him._ I just don't understand it._

When we went to the front to pay our bill, I couldn't help but notice that Stephen and Miles circled warily around each other, like two roosters squaring off for a fight.

_What on earth is going on here?!_

I couldn't imagine what had brought this on but I knew that I didn't want it to escalate. As soon as the bill was paid, I grabbed both of our coats and Miles' arm and dragged him out of the restaurant, the waiter looking balefully after us.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Miles?!" I demanded as soon as we were out of earshot as Miles shrugged my hand off of his arm, grabbed his black trench-coat out of my hand and gave me a dirty look as he put it on. "This isn't like you! Why are you so angry and what were you thinking trying to pick a fight with the waiter?! I agree that he was_ extremely_ annoying but that is no excuse!"

"As if_ you_ didn't know," he spat back, pulling on his black gloves and turning away from me, stalking toward the car in the parking lot.

"As if... I didn't know?!" I repeated in stunned disbelief, running to keep up to him and trying to put on my cream-colored trench-coat at the same time. "What do you mean by that? I have _no_ idea what you're talking about!" I grabbed his arm and forced him to stop. "Miles, wait! **WAIT**!" I turned him around to face me. "What are you talking about? I don't know, honest to God! I wish you'd tell me!"

His face was an angry red when he at last looked me square in the eye and I instinctively took two steps back, my heart hammering in my chest. He _was_ angry and, when I looked into those sparking grey orbs, I was surprised to see he was hurt as well. That _really_ bothered me since I had _no_ idea what was happening.

After some minutes of tense silence, he spoke.

"You mean to tell me, Wright," he began tightly, his pale face flushing even redder, his hands clenching into fists, "that you missed what was going on under your very nose for the past hour and a half...and you don't _know_?! How could you_ not_?!" His voice began to rise. "That damned waiter was flirting with _you_ right in front of_ me_ and you tell me you _didn't_ notice?! For God's sake, Wright, that's a stretch even for _you_!"

I looked at him, dumbfounded. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

_Was this what had been bothering him? _I wondered, my mind working to remember what had transpired over the past hour and a half and, at that moment, all of the waiter's attentions to me suddenly made sense.

"Are you serious, Miles?" I asked, my expression perplexed and troubled, holding tightly to his arm as he made to turn around and stalk away. "I mean, _really_ serious?"

He gave me a hard look, a hurt look plain on his face in contrast with his stormy countenance. "Yes. Yes, I _am_ serious. _Really_ serious."

I swallowed hard.

"I... I didn't notice," I said quietly, looking into those angry grey eyes, hoping that I could get through to him. "I honestly didn't." I blushed. "I was wondering myself _why _he was so attentive toward me but... I didn't think much of it since I...was happy just being with _you_." I looked at him, my gaze earnest. "I _didn't_ notice because I _wasn't_ interested and, as you may recall, I also asked him to leave when his presence began to be less helpful and more of a nuisance. I had _no_ idea he was flirting with me and, had I known, I would have sent him away much sooner than I did."

I gently tugged Miles closer to me and, even though he put up a bit of resistance up at first, he grudgingly came toward me, one slow step at a time although he still refused to look directly at me. I felt my heart lift at that moment and it was with renewed hope at this action that I hoped we could get this misunderstanding cleared up and continue on with our evening. That was my thought, at least.

"_You_ are the only man I want, Miles," I continued, pulling him against me, gently caressing the side of his face with my white-gloved hand, hoping that I was succeeding in at least calming him down but, judging by the shuttered and closed expression on his face, I wasn't at all sure I was. "I'm _not_ interested in anyone else; all I've ever wanted was_ you_. If I'd wanted anyone else, I wouldn't _be_ with you! I love you, Miles... _only_ you!" He stared at the ground and I sighed, looking away, a lump beginning to form in my throat. "I don't know _what_ else I can say to you to get you to believe me; I only wish that you would. I don't _care_ about other people. I only care about _you_, Miles Edgeworth... no one else matters to me _except_ you."

A stony silence was the only answer to my entreaties and, with a loud sigh, I let go of his arm, turning away from him and walking slowly toward the parking lot, leaving a still angry and hurt Miles looking after me, the last thing I saw being the conflicting emotions warring on his face.

I'd done what I could to convince him that I loved him and he didn't believe me, even after all this time. I couldn't understand why and I was at a loss as to how to prove to him that I _did_. I was so lost in my own misery that I didn't notice the first soft touch on my cheek but a subsequent one finally broke through my anguished brain and I looked up, hoping that it would be Miles but I was disappointed as I realized that it was only a snowflake. I hadn't noticed that it was snowing in all the emotional upheaval and I stared up at the sky for a few minutes, my thoughts wandering into more pleasant venues before all of this started.

_This is a really lousy way to end the evening_, I thought sadly, pushing my hands deep in my pockets as I walked over to the parking lot, heading toward Miles' red car parked in the second left-hand row, uncertain if Miles was following behind me or not. _What am I going to have to do to prove to him that I love him, that other people __**don't **__matter? What's it going to have to take before he believes me?_

I only hoped that the answers to those questions were ones I could live with.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I don't own Phoenix Wright or Miles Edgeworth; CAPCOM does. The plot and that damned waiter, Stephen, are my creations. :D_  
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_Events come to a head at an ancient wishing well. Will this be the end of the line for Miles and Phoenix or is there a Christmas miracle awaiting them?_

* * *

The final chapter! I really like the way this chapter turned out, particularly the little supernatural twist near the end! I've always loved "the vanishing house" motif and it works wonderfully well here in reminding the boys what's_ really_ important. :) Things in this world don't last forever and things that seem so important at the present really_ aren't_ in the long run. Cherish your loved ones. :)

I hope that everyone has enjoyed reading it and I hope that all the magic, love and joy of Christmas will be yours in abundance this holiday season! Merry Christmas, everyone! :D

_Thank you, as always, to my readers who frequently read-and even re-read-my stories and those who have commented, _ read, reviewed, favourited/story alerted my stories and thanks also to those who have author alerted/favourite authored, as well! I appreciate it very much! I am glad that you are enjoying my stories and I hope that you will continue to enjoy them in the future! :)

**Thank you **to my beta, Midnight-hunter, for all your comments and insights! I really appreciate it! :)

**Extra Special thanks **to my beloved husband, DezoPenguin, for all his encouragement, love, concern, advice, being my rock during the writing process so I don't end up tearing my hair out in frustration and for reigniting the fire within me to write! I love and cherish you more than I could ever express in words! I love you, honey, and many, many, many thanks!

As always, comments and suggestions are warmly welcomed and gratefully appreciated!

Rated Teen, male/male relationships, Romance/Drama, Phoenix & Edgeworth

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I was leaning against the car when Miles finally appeared_, _ominously silent and brooding. I sighed inwardly; obviously my words didn't mean anything to him and I'd wasted my breath for nothing. I was beginning to wish we'd never even gone out and instead had opted to stay home and watch a movie and then none of this would have ever happened.

I cursed Stephen roundly in my mind with every nasty image and phrases I could conjure up; after all,_ he_ was the real cause of all our problems this evening and, if it hadn't have been for _him_...

_It's that damned waiter's fault! _I fumed inwardly as Miles silently walked over to the driver's side, pointedly ignoring me as he walked past. _I wish we'd never had him for our waiter._ _He _should _know damned well when his presence wasn't welcomed or wanted... and I thought that I had made _that_ abundantly clear! _

I looked up, glaring at the sky, my arms crossed over my chest. _I ought to complain to management but I don't want to end up engaged in a wrestling match with that bloody idiot and I'd just as soon never go back. Which, I can say with confidence, I won't ever! _I uncrossed my arms as I lifted my right hand to scratch the back of my neck before returning it to its original position._ Is there a special hell for pushy waiters? If there isn't, there _should _be!_

As I watched Miles walk by me without so much as a word or even glanced in my direction, I felt my heart ache which, in turn, brought about another spate of damning Stephen to the ninth circle of Hell in my mind with a few more new miseries thrown in for good measure that I made up.

Which, on the whole, made me feel at least a _little_ better but it _still_ didn't address the issue of just _how_ I was going to patch things up with Miles who, by all indications at this point in time, wasn't speaking to me right now or for the indeterminate future.

_I have no idea what to do although I'm sure that I will think of something, hopefully, before we get home. Whether or not it works is another matter altogether. _I sighed, scuffing the toe of my boot on the snowy pavement. _I just wish I knew what to do..._

Miles opened the driver's side door, got in and leaned over to pull up the lock, all without once either looking at me or even glancing in my general direction. I swallowed as I opened the door with trepidation, climbing in without a word, shutting the door firmly behind me once I was seated in the car.

I reached up, pulling down the seat belt across my waist and pushed it into the slot, nodding once I heard the loud click that meant it was fastened. Once I was done, I glanced over to see Miles looking at me, an unreadable expression on his face before he quickly turned away, putting the keys in the ignition and staring straight ahead of him as he started the car.

The tension was so thick you could have cut it with a knife but I had no idea how to lessen it; I'd said all I could and, if he couldn't accept it, then I didn't know what else there was _to_ say.

_I'm between a rock and a hard place, _I thought with dismay, stealing glances at Miles from the corner of my eye as he started the car and turned onto the street, heading toward the highway. His face was drawn and unhappy and I noticed that his hands shook slightly as they gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white. _He doesn't believe me and I can't think of any other way to convince him that I mean what I say. _I turned my head, once again staring aimlessly through the car window at the rows of houses and businesses as we passed them by, each passing block feeling like a row of cells and that I was a prisoner on Death Row. _I don't know what else I_ can _do_ _to convince him... God, this evening is so messed up._

Complete silence reigned between us on the drive home, neither of us being in the mood for conversation; truthfully, I don't know _what _we would have said had we even been remotely interested in talking. I rested my face in my hand as I watched the scenery passing by on our way back into the city, unhappy thoughts whirling through my mind like a maelstrom.

It was dark, the thin slice of moon hanging low shining dimly in the black sky, reflecting the mood in the car perfectly. Miles was upset and hurt over what he considered to be my allowing that waiter to flirt with me by not saying something sooner and encouraging him in some way; I was hurt and upset because I had no idea what he was talking about and he didn't believe me when I tried to tell him that.

_What are we even doing together?_ I wondered, a twinge of pain rushing through me at the very thought as I looked out into the darkness passing by outside the window. _If he doesn't _trust _me, he obviously doesn't _love _me. If he doesn't love me, what is he even _**doing**_ with me? _I looked at him out of the corner of my eye as we drove along, his still pinched and unhappy face filling my peripheral vision and I couldn't help but wonder what thoughts were going through his mind although I was pretty sure that they weren't at all pleasant ones. _Am I just another notch on his bed post; is that all I am to him? _I shook my head violently._ I know that isn't the truth, damn it, and I don't even want to think something like that but... I'm beginning to think so and it _isn't_ a good feeling! _

When I stole yet another quick glance at him some time later, he didn't look any happier than I felt; in fact, it seemed that he was even more upset than I was, if that was at all possible. For some reason, that was beginning to make me angry. _What the hell is his problem?! I didn't do anything wrong so why is he mad at me for?! _I rubbed my tired eyes briefly before my hand returned to its previous position, my momentary flash of anger spent, leaving behind a throbbing, empty spot. _I just wish he'd trust me._

I sat in silence for quite some time before I was jolted out of my reverie by a series of hard shakes and loud pops, followed shortly by loud Edgeworth curses, my heart leaping into my throat as the car veered sharply to the left and it took a sharp jerk of the steering wheel to get the car to nose away from the ditch coming up fast on the passenger's side. I gave a surprised squeak as I was thrown to the left and then immediately back to the right as Miles managed to regain control, easing up on the gas pedal and taking it gently onto the shoulder of the road, turning into a lane off the main highway.

I leaned into the dashboard, panting loudly as I willed my racing heart to stop, my forehead lying against my trembling hands. That had been close, _too_ close for my comfort; I could still see the ditch rising up to meet the passenger's side window as we very nearly drove straight into it in my mind's eye and I drove away the memory with an impatient gesture.

I gulped in deep breaths in quick succession, whispering nonsensical rhymes until I calmed down and, once my breathing had returned to normal, I slowly lifted my head and looked out of the windshield which, thankfully, hadn't cracked or broken when we came to the sudden stop.

There was a dark house about a hundred feet away, tucked neatly away into the woods that surrounded it and, if the headlights hadn't illuminated it, we wouldn't have been able to see it since it was all but nearly hidden in the dense woods beyond the scope of the dim light. Once my heart had returned to my chest from its visit to my throat, I felt anger flow through me in a rushing tide, overriding the _very _real terror that had gripped me just moments earlier. _What the hell was that man thinking?! He nearly wrecked us!_

I threw a dirty look at Miles as he turned off the ignition, slowly taking out the key and putting the set morosely into his pocket, his stone face an unreadable mask although his shaking hands clutched the steering wheel like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver, his lips moving though no sound emerged. Apparently, he was as shaken as I was at our close call and I glared at him before turning my head to look out my window, dark thoughts invading my brain.

_This is just great!_ I thought angrily, kicking the side of the passenger door as hard as I could after I looked away. _Not only do we get into a fight that's making me even wonder _if _we should even be together and _now_ he goes and nearly wrecks us! This is just wonderful, Edgeworth; what the hell do you plan to do for an encore?! Kill us both?!_

I glared at him again before undoing my seat belt, throwing open the door in disgust and clambering out into the deep snow. I slammed the door as hard as I could behind me as I stalked off into the night, eager to get as far away from _him_ as I possibly could, ignoring his repeated calls and shouts to stop. I had managed to make it about forty feet before I felt his gloved hand grab my arm and I threw it off with force, without even bothering to acknowledge his presence or even turn around. I continued my lone trek toward the dark house now only sixty feet away from where I presently stood.

It's amazing the amount of ground you can cover when you're angry.

"Wright, wait," I heard Miles say in a breathless tone and I could see he was having trouble keeping up with me. I ignored him and kept on moving, wishing he would just go away and leave me alone. "Wright . . . please! Please . . . **WRIGHT**!!! Damn it, Wright... I said **WAIT**!"

"Go to hell, Miles!" I threw back over my shoulder, now close to the weathered picket fence surrounding the house. "I don't want to see you right now! Just go away!"

Edgeworth wasn't too far behind and closing in fast so I picked up the pace as much as I could, reaching the picket fence, opening it quickly and rushing into the yard, shutting it behind me long before Miles reached it. I heard him cursing some way behind me as I neared the porch and I couldn't help but feel meanly glad about it. After all that he had put me through tonight, I felt that he deserved it. This definitely _wasn't_ the way I had envisioned our evening going and I just wanted it to be over with as soon as possible.

_Damn him to the lowest hells! _I thought angrily as I stormed on, my arms pumping hard, my breath coming in deep, ragged gasps._ Damn him! _At this point, I wasn't sure if I was damning Miles, Stephen or both but it didn't make much of a difference as I continued on for a few feet more before I inexplicably came to sudden stop. It took me a few minutes to realize that I wasn't making any progress and I frowned as I tried to lift up my foot but it felt as heavy as lead and I was unable to lift it for more than a few seconds before it dropped heavily back to the ground.

_What the...? I.. can't move! _To say that I was surprised was an understatement since I wasn't sure exactly _why_ I'd stopped dead in my tracks but, when I tried to move, I found that I couldn't. It was almost as if my feet were rooted to the spot and, try as I might, I couldn't move an inch, no matter how hard I tried.

After a few moments, I gave up trying and just stood there, listening to Miles panting hard as he came into view, a dim, hazy figure in the swirling snow. As he slowly came closer toward where I stood, I happened to look over to my left shoulder and saw, to my amazement, an old wishing well standing there in silent vigil, its white paint weathered and flaking, white snowflakes and paint chips from the well drifting and mixing together as they drifted lazily to the ground.

My lips formed into a silent "O" as I stared at it, wondering simultaneously _where _it had come from and _why _I hadn't noticed its presence before. It was as if it had just appeared out of nowhere...

_This is certainly a surprise_. I gingerly reached out, touching the outside of the well carefully with my fingertips even though more paint chips flaked off and fell to the ground to join the others. _I wonder what it's doing here and why I never noticed it until just now._

I looked at it for a few moments in silence. I knew that in folklore any well was considered to be magical which explained why there were so many places that were considered sacred by ancient people. Even now, I don't know exactly _what_ prompted me to do so but I took a quarter from my pocket and tossed it into the well with a fervent "I wish Miles would believe me when I say I love him because I do" made as the silver piece disappeared into the black depths, spinning over and over in widening arcs as it descended.

I watched it until it vanished from sight, wondering what it was that had inspired me to do such a childish thing and if it would have any effect. I sighed, leaning against the well, waiting for Miles to catch up which wouldn't be very long in coming, as I could hear his heavy breathing coming ever closer to where I was standing.

_I guess it couldn't hurt since Miles is going to let me have once he catches up._

It seemed a foolish thing to do on the face of it the more I thought about it but, for some reason, I felt . . . _good_ about it which was definitely surprising, to say the least, given how awful this part of the evening had been. I didn't know exactly_ what_ to think of this rapid change in attitude when I had been so angry just moments before. I didn't have much time to really think about it for Miles came snow-ploughing up to the well, his pale cheeks cherry red from the cold, his grey hair dusted with snow, panting loudly with exertion.

I squared my shoulders._ Here it comes... Might as well get it over and done with._

I took a deep breath as I steeled myself for Miles' burst of bad temper-which, I reasoned, hadn't been helped by my stomping away like a child in the middle of a temper tantrum-to break out on my head like a Fury but it didn't come... which was the first surprise. The second came hard upon the first when Miles strode up to me, hugged me close to him and fastened his mouth on mine in a kiss so passionate it made me weak in the knees, my legs feeling like rubber.

Trembling, my arms came up to wrap around his neck, pulling him close and, as I did so, I marveled at this turnabout. I didn't know _where_ it had come from but I was feeling exceptionally grateful that it _had._ I shuddered to think where things would have lead had I not . . .

_Don't think about that, Wright_, I chastised myself sternly, leaning heavily against Miles as we deepened the kiss, our bodies fitting together so perfectly it was like we became one person, our co-joined bodies casting a single shadow on the snow-covered ground. _Just accept it, enjoy it and move on from there. That's all you need to do . . . don't question it._

Snow fell heavily around us but neither of us noticed as we embraced, our hearts racing as we held each other close; Miles' gloved hands dug deep into my hair as his tongue danced with mine. I moaned softly against his mouth as we clung to each other desperately, the kiss accurately reflecting our passionate feelings.

_I can _definitely_ go with this, _I thought to myself_,_ my mouth curving into a slight, saucy smile. _It certainly beats the alternative._

When we parted some time later, my surprised eyes met his contrite ones, his face wreathed in a sad smile as he tenderly caressed my face, tracing soft patterns on my skin with his gloved fingers.

"I'm so sorry, Phoenix," he murmured quietly in my ear, his nose nuzzling my temple gently, lovingly. "I've been _such_ a bloody fool . . . "

"Miles . . . " I began but he put a finger to my lips, silencing me.

"No," he said softly, looking deep into my eyes. "I was wrong . . . and I'm not ashamed to admit it." He gave me a sad smile with a mischievous glint in his eye. "I might not _like_ it very much but I'll _always_ admit it when it is so overwhelmingly obvious and even when it isn't." He looked at me shyly, his eyes half-closed. "You taught me that and I am very grateful to you for it."

He then sighed, a heavy sound that was deeply tinged with regret. "I'm also sorry that I nearly wrecked us." He flushed. "I should have _known_ better than to drive when I was _that _upset. If anything had happened, I..." He broke off the train of thought but I knew what he meant and I hugged him close.

"Don't think about that, Miles," I whispered tenderly, my hand running gently up and down his back, "I forgive you."

His face continued to wear a sad expression and I wished that I could have taken that away from him; what had happened earlier _didn't _feel so important right now. Both of us had overreacted, each in our own way, without stopping to consider the most important thing: that we _truly_ loved each other, having gone through hell and back just to _be_ together.

This truth had gotten lost in the shuffle in the throes of jealousy and fear, in the onslaught of heated emotion.

_What fools we men can sometimes be_, I thought wryly, feeling peace and contentment flow over me as he held me close. _There may be times when I don't __**like**__ you very much, Miles, but I will always __**love**__ you, no matter how angry I may be at the time. Never let me forget it, beloved; never let me forget just __**how**__ much you mean to me and I promise to do the same._

"I _should _have known better than to doubt you, Phoenix," he continued softly, holding me close, pressing my head against his shoulder and stroking my hair with his free hand. "After all you've been through _with_ me and borne _for_ my sake, I_ should _know better, and trust that another man _wouldn't _turn your head." He smiled ruefully, ruffling my hair. "I was wrong to doubt you, beloved, and I am truly sorry for it. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can, Miles," I replied softly, my eyes shining with unshed tears that had welled up in my eyes, "I love you and _only_ you. You're the _only_ man I want, Miles; I_ wouldn't_ be happy with anyone else."

I pulled him even closer, feeling his hand stroking my hair once again with tender strokes and I leaned gratefully into those gentle caresses. "I'd _never _do anything to hurt you; I'd rather lose my right arm than lose you." I looked up into his face, my expression serious, his breath catching in his throat at the intensity of feeling that passed between us. "I love you, Miles Edgeworth . . . I _wouldn't_ be happy _without _you."

He leaned down and gently kissed me again, his arms tightening around me, my heart feeling lighter than it had in the past two hours. As we clung to each other, our lips glued together, I was _very_ grateful that the problem had been resolved between us and I shuddered to think _how _close I had come to throwing it all away because of my heated emotions. I resolved to think through things_ before _I said anything in the future, not just merely react to it since I was sure that Miles didn't want a repeat performance of this evening. I knew I most certainly did not.

We stood there for some time beside that old wishing well, holding each other close, the snow gently falling all around us, exchanging tender kisses of both apology and promise. An apology for overreacting so badly and a promise that we would think things through first, other than just reacting, in the future so that something like this wouldn't happen again.

Miles looked down at me, his face wreathed in a dazzling smile, gently brushing away the snow that had accumulated in my hair. Somewhere far off in the distance, we heard a church bell tolling and realized that it was now, officially, Christmas Day.

"Merry Christmas, Phoenix," he said softly, kissing my forehead.

"Merry Christmas, Miles," I replied happily, lifting my head and kissing him back, doing a long and thorough job of it. After we parted, we looked up at the sky, our eyes wide open with wonder and our hearts beating in happy unison. The moonlight seemed to be shining much more brightly for some reason although, at the time, we both attributed it to our imaginations but there were times, in the secret recesses of my heart, when I would wonder if that was _really _the truth or if there was something greater at work that night.

It was a question that would occupy my thoughts for months afterward.

"As much as I am enjoying this, Phoenix," Miles remarked quietly, his hand absentmindedly stroking my face, "I think we need to get home and have a cup of hot chocolate." He shivered slightly. "It's getting colder and I would much rather be in the comfort and warmth of our own home than out here."

"I agree," I replied, giving him a quick hug. "I wonder if the house has a phone so we can call your auto service and help us get the car started."

Miles nodded. "I think that is a good idea," he replied and we reluctantly let each other go although Miles' hand sought out mine and held it tightly as we turned toward the porch of the house only to see, to our great surprise, that there wasn't anything there except a dark, empty space.

_I _know_ there was a house here, I would have sworn there was! Where did it go?!_

I was dumbfounded and Miles had a similar expression on his face as we stood there for a few minutes in stunned amazement, unable to fully process what our eyes were seeing or, rather, _not_ seeing. After the initial shock had worn off, we both looked around us for any sign of the dark farmhouse we had seen when we came here but there was no trace of anything, not even the crumbling ruins of an ancient foundation. We even searched the surrounding area where we had seen the house standing and found nothing . . . _except_ the old wishing well standing lonely guard in what would have been the front yard.

I looked at Miles and he looked at me, the same thought running through both of our minds: _This is really weird._ _I could have _sworn_ I saw that house here half an hour ago!_

The timing of it all was furthermost in our minds as we walked back to the car in silence, hand in hand. There was something mysterious about the way events had unfolded and what intrigued me the most was the _when_ of the events.

To cap off a night full of wonderful surprises, the car started without any trouble at all when Miles put the key in the ignition and turned it, startling us both when it immediately roared into life. Miles' eyebrow raising as he looked at me was the only outward sign that he was taken aback and I merely shrugged as if to say "_I can't explain it either . . . and I'm not about to try because I have no idea what happened here tonight._" I wasn't about to complain at the turnabout and neither was Miles as we buckled our seat belts, easing slowly out of the lane and back onto the main road. It did occupy my thoughts on both the long drive back home and later on, when we sat on the couch in front of the fireplace with a cheery fire burning brightly, enjoying a mug of hot chocolate and each other.

As I smiled over the mug at Miles, my thoughts went again to what had happened the night before. I guess that Something wanted to remind us of just what was _really_ important, to remind us that life was too short to waste over things that didn't matter and that trust, and love, were two of the greatest forces in the universe.

I would think these things over in the ensuing few weeks but I was no closer to an answer when I began so, ultimately, I chalked it up to one of those things that defies explanation but being very grateful, nonetheless, that we had been given another chance to make this blissfully wonderful but often crazy relationship of ours work.

I never said anything to Miles about my musings but I often wondered, when I caught him with that sweet, secretive smile on his face from time to time, if he thought the same way I did about that magical Christmas Eve.

_I know he'll never admit it but I wonder if he thinks about it the same way I do? You have to admit there's something very mysterious, but at the same time, utterly magical about it . . . Its almost as if Something wanted to remind us of what was _really_ important and how much we mean to each other._

I grinned happily as Miles came closer to me and I took him into my arms, holding him close and kissing him gently.

_I'll probably never know what really happened that night but I don't care. What I _do_ care about is that Miles and I are together and that nothing else in the world matters more to me than that._

When we parted, Miles smiled at me, rubbing his nose against mine in a playful gesture of affection, his eyes twinkling merrily.

_Yes_, I mused as I playfully returned the gentle sign of affection that left Miles grinning from ear to ear, _as long as we are together, nothing else really matters. And I am glad that we were once again made aware of it since we really needed to be reminded of that timeless truth that magical and wonderful night._

I smiled at Miles and moved closer to him on the couch_, _my eyes shining. He smiled back and leaned forward, kissing the tip of my nose.

"Merry Christmas, Phoenix," he said as he settled back down beside me, sipping his hot chocolate with gusto, a soft, tender expression gracing his face.

"Merry Christmas, Miles," I replied, leaning back and taking a sip of my hot chocolate and staring dreamily into the fire as I snuggled close to his warm and comforting form. "Merry Christmas."

_**~Fin~**_


End file.
